The End Of The First

Dylan Mckneely • December 7, 2023

"And that'll do it for the first quarter here in New Orleans, your Pelicans' lead the field 12 to 10. Stay tune for the start of the second." - Joel Meyers(probably)

The New Orleans Pelicans completed the first quarter of their schedule by advancing in the inaugural NBA In-Season tournament by defeating the Sacramento Kings 127 - 117 in Sacramento. This win concludes a quarter of ups and downs, with our arch nemesis, "Sir Injury Bug," occasionally appearing. While the beginning of this season does not resemble that of the last one in which the Pelicans had a fully healthy Zion Williamson available to start(14-8 in 22-23), one could argue that this team is in a better position for success from an overall standpoint. Let's look into the first quarter and see what the Pelicans did well.

Catch And Shoot 3's Are MONEY

While the Pelicans aren't shooting a high amount of three-pointers (26th in the NBA in attempts), 93.8% of their made three-pointers come off of passes. Matt Ryan is leading the way, shooting 46.5% on 4.8 catch-and-shoot three-point attempts per game. The Pelicans have four players in the Top 25 on catch-and-shoot attempts in the entire NBA. This stat heavily favors the Point Zion scheme the Pelicans had begun to deploy more often as the first quarter of the season progressed. With Trey Murphy's return from injury and the emergence of rookie shooter Jordan Hawkins(more on that later), this could be a vital part of the Pels' push for the playoffs.

Jordan Hawkins Is A Rookie Veteran

On draft night, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Jordan Hawkins, to the dismay of many of the Pelicans' fanbase. Jordan Hawkins may not have been what the fanbase wanted then, but he has swiftly become a favorite and a pivotal piece of the Pelicans rotation. Possessing what NBA Champion and color commentator Antonio Daniels would call "a wetter," Jordan "Hawk" Hawkins is a viable threat from three-point range, shooting 37.3%, while leading the team with 150 attempts. Not only is Hawkins a willing and able shooter from deep, but he also has the makeup of an elite two-level scorer possessing a lethal midrange package. Hawkins is third on the NBA Rookie ladder behind second-year rookie Chet Holmgren and talented Frenchman Victor Wembanyama. What makes Hawkins so unique, beyond his shooting prowess, is his unbothered demeanor. There's never a moment too big for the 21-year-old rookie, often asking for the ball in crucial moments and attacking the boards to grab a pivotal game-swinging rebound. While Jordan is a gifted offensive threat, his lack of defensive ability could potentially hinder his playing time with a fully healthy Pelicans roster. Hawkins recorded his first Healthy DNP of the year against the Kings, which can only point to the fact that he is the only rotation player with a negative plus/minus (-3.2). One can only hope that by gaining muscle mass and his teachable mentality, Hawkins will grow into a capable defender as his career progresses. The future is bright for this young star, and he is, without a doubt, the steal of the NBA Draft at this current moment.

Herb Jones Is To The Pelicans What James Brown Is To The Music Industry

Herb Jones is more than just a gifted defender; 20.7% of the team's possessions end in a Herb Jones assist. Jones is also shooting a career-high 35% from three while adding 64% from inside the arc and 88% from the free throw line. The twenty-five-year-old, three-year pro is evolving into a top-tier do-it-all forward right before our eyes. Jones is the most crucial piece in the overall success of the New Orleans Pelicans. He may never get the fanfare of Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, or even Trey Murphy III. Still, the success of all of those individuals weighs heavily on the availability of Herb Jones. This strikes a unique resemblance of the relationship between the honorably nicknamed "Hardest Working Man In Show Business" James Brown, and two of the most prominent music and pop culture superstars, Michael Jackson and Prince. Brown never reached the popularity of Jackson and Prince but is credited as the most influential artist in both world-renowned celebrities' careers. James Brown is also the most sampled artist of all time, being sampled a whopping 8,877 times, with a significant amount of those samples garnering commercial success. While Brown may never be celebrated in the same breath as Michael Jackson or Prince, one could argue that Brown made it possible for those individuals to reach their levels of success by being so great at what he does best. The same can be said for Herb Jones and the Pelicans. Herb Jones has the uncanny ability to correct his teammate's defensive lapses before those lapses hurt the team. He's also developed the ability to space the floor, pulling defenders away from the basket with the threat of Jones not only shooting but making the corner three-point shot. While Herb is already one of the most respected defenders in the entire NBA, he is more than a defender to this Pelicans team. Jones is the Heartbeat, the engine, and the hardest working man in a Pels Business. 

CJ McCollum Is The Perfect Veteran For This Team

CJ McCollum is having a career year in steals, assists, and blocks while still scoring an efficient 20 points per game on 50% shooting from two. and 36% from three. While those are impressive statistics for the Pelicans' third option, McCollum's most significant contribution to this team cannot be quantified in numbers. CJ is the consummate professional who unapologetically holds his teammates accountable privately and publicly, often highlighting his behind-the-scenes conversation with franchise cornerstones Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. This attribute in a veteran player who also supplies on-court production has been the missing link of the New Orleans Pelicans organization since the departure of future Hall Of Famer Chris Paul.

After being sidelined by injury, CJ returned to the lineup against the Philadelphia 76ers, contributing a full stat line of twenty points, four rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block. McCollum's steady nature on and off the court has been a breath of fresh air for this organization. 

Is This The Deepest Team In The NBA?

With seven double-figure scorers, ten 35% or more three-pointer shooters, six 60% field-goal shooters, and ten players having a positive plus/minus per 100 possessions, this is, without a doubt, the deepest team the New Orleans Pelicans have ever deployed. One could argue that this is one of the deepest teams in the entire NBA. The 12-10 record may not show that at first glance, but when you take into consideration that the Pelicans have had their opening night starting lineup on the floor to start a game only six games out of a possible 22(27%) and have been without budding young star Trey Murphy III, and fan favorite Jose Alvarado the majority of the season, one could say that things could be a lot worse. With the revelation of top-tier young defender Dyson Daniels, the gravity-shifting shooting ability of NBA Journeyman Matt Ryan, "the knife" Naji Marshall, and the surprising contribution of Cody Zeller, this Pelicans team can play multiple different styles of basketball. This level of depth is a luxury that most organizations rarely can garner, yet here the Pelicans are. 

With so much depth and talent, one has to wonder how Coach Green will manage the minutes of this team moving forward. How do you keep team morale high through the inevitable DNPs that will mount up for players deserving of playing time? Furthermore, do the Pelicans commit long-term to resting Zion on back-to-backs, or is this a short-term plan? With the consistent lineup changes due to injury and the number of pivotal minutes played by first and second-year players, the first quarter could be considered a success despite the team's current overall record. The Pelicans' unlucky injury track record helped them develop their young talent while coming out of it with an above .500 record.  Now, we gear up in Las Vegas to begin the second quarter. Will the Pelicans put it all together and make a run, starting with winning the In-Season Tournament? Tune in tonight at 8 pm central time for tip-off.

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Vanderbilt - 11, LSU - 3

By David Billiot Jr • March 15, 2026
The big question following LSU’s heartbreaking loss on Friday night was how they would respond. Game 1 was a rollercoaster of emotions, starting with the Tigers scoring first, giving up the lead, Jake Brown crushing a homerun to retake the lead, then the pitching staff collapsing to fall behind 10-4, followed by 8 unanswered runs by LSU, only to be walked off in the 9th inning while being just an out of securing the dramatic comeback victory. Having that happen will test a team mentally under normal circumstances, but considering the timing, it was an even bigger challenge. It happened on the road, in the first game of SEC play, and on the heels of a pretty bad multi-week stretch for the Tigers. LSU was going to need a quick start on Saturday night to regain momentum, but Vanderbilt beat them to it by scoring first while Wyatt Nadeau carved up Jay Johnson’s lineup the first time through the order. The Tigers answered back to tie the game, but as Cooper Moore battled through the early innings, he was also playing with fire. He finally got burned in the 5th inning and things went downhill in a hurry for LSU. Before you knew it, they were down 10-1 and, again, in deep trouble. What was most concerning was Saturday’s results seemed to indicate that what we watched transpire on Friday had more to do with the Commodores choking, rather than the Tigers storming back on their own merit. LSU would go down quietly this time, dropping their first series of conference play. Pitching Cooper Moore entered Saturday coming off of his worst start of the season thus far. It wasn’t bad last week, but it was a far cry from his first three. He looked good early against Vanderbilt, breezing 1-2-3 through the 1st inning. Despite getting in to early trouble in the 2nd, Moore battled out of a 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs situation by only allowing 1 run. That was a massive win in the moment. The leadoff hitter got on base in the 3rd, but, again, he fought through it and didn’t allow the baserunner past 2nd base. We saw more of the same in the 4th, as the inning started with an infield hit, a single, then the chopper that bounced high over Zach Yorke’s head and rolled down the 1st baseline to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 and, once again, put runners on 2nd and 3rd with 0 outs. Moore struck out Ryker Waite, who came in to the series with a .560 on base percentage. Then, thanks to the magician that LSU has playing shortstop, a double play ended yet another big threat. Korbin Reynolds hit a laser right at Steven Milam, who was playing on the grass with the infield in. The ball go on to Milam so quickly, he had to fall backwards to catch it, but his impeccable reaction time somehow allowed him to snag the ball, fall to his butt, and toss it Trent Caraway at 3rd base. Unfortunately for Moore, the trouble would catch up to him in the 5th, though. A four pitch walk to the Commodores 9-hole hitter was the omen of bad things to come, as that was followed with a perfect sacrifice bunt attempt that no one fielded as they hoped it would roll foul, and then another single loaded the bases with 0 outs and Moore’s night was over. The first inning was the only inning that he was able to pitch from the windup, as the leadoff hitter was on base for the next four innings. Despite the talent of starting pitchers, that will forever be tough to overcome, especially against good teams. Final line: 4.0 IP / 7 hits / 5 runs / 4 Ks / 2 BBs / 79 pitches (48 strikes, 61%) Ethan Plog entered in an impossible situation and promptly got he ball he was hoping for. A high chopper ground ball made Yorke leave his feet, but he snagged it and fired home for the force out attempt. Unfortunately, the throw was poor and Omar Serna was unable to go down and get it, scoring a run and the bases remained loaded with no outs. Plog would then walk a hitter and give up a sacrifice fly, pushing Vanderbilt’s lead to 5-1. Chris Maldonado then stepped to the plate to pinch hit and blasted a 3 run homerun over Derek Curiel’s leaping attempt in dead center and the Commodores had blowing things open with 6 run 5th inning. Plog has been fantastic, but that’s where his first SEC appearance would come to an end. Final line: .1 IP / 1 hit / 3 runs / 0 K / 2 BBs Freshman Zion Theophilus was called upon to try and finish off the disaster of an inning for LSU pitching and he did just that, recording a strikeout and a flyout to end the 5th. Back for the 6th, he recorded the leadoff hitter for the first time since the 1st inning, but was unable to record another out after that. He then issued 3 walks (1 intentional) and a hit by pitch and his day was done. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 2 runs / 1 K / 3 BBs From one high promise freshman pitcher to another, Reagan Ricken entered with the bases loaded and 1 out. He did exactly what Jay Johnon called upon him to do, drawing a ground ball to record an out and striking out Waite looking to keep the damage from getting worse. Even though a run scored on the groundout, LSU pitchers have struggled to simply record outs in some of these tough spots, which allows things to get worse and worse, much like we saw in the 5th. Ricken returned for the 7th and despite allowing a solo homerun and 2 two out walks, was able to navigate through the entire inning and get out of trouble. Ricken continues to flash plenty of traits to very excited about as he grows as a Tiger. Final line: 1.2 IP / 1 hit / 1 run / 2 Ks / 2 BBs With LSU down 11-3 and the tensity of the moment being low, Jay Johnson inserted Marcos Paz for the 8th inning in a great spot to get his feet wet. As he continues to come back from Tommy John surgery, he’s flashed his talent that made him a possible draft risk, while also battling through rust. In his first SEC appearance, he looked fantastic. Despite a walk, Paz struck out the side, including Maldonado that hit the big homerun earlier. Final line: 1.0 IP / 0 hits / 0 runs / 3 Ks / 1 BB Hitting There isn’t a lot of offensive production to get to, so this will be quick. Steven Milam followed up his 3 hit performance on Friday with a 1-4 game, including a fantastic piece of opposite field hitting for a double. Derek Curiel, Cade Arrambide, and Omar Serna each had a single hit, to give you the 4 total LSU hits. Arrambide’s was a double and Serna’s was a 2 run single that brought his RBI total for the week up to 6. Jake Brown entered the game with only 9 strikeouts so far this season, but Nadeau’s stuff was so good, he was able to get LSU’s offensive MVP twice. Brown did draw 2 walks, finishing the night 0-2. Up Next LSU and Vanderbilt will wrap up SEC opening weekend tomorrow. First pitch will be at 3 pm central. William Schmidt will take the mound for the Tigers as they look to avoid being swept on SEC opening weekend for the first time since 2006 when Arkansas took three in Alex Box during Smoke Laval’s final season. The Tigers have fallen to 13-7, which matches Vanderbilt’s record after back to back wins to start the series. The Commodores will send Nate Taylor to the mound on Sunday, who has started all four Sundays for them this season. Taylor has a record of 0-3 with a 4.91 ERA. His batting average against is the highest of any of the top Vanderbilt pitchers that LSU has seen so far at .242. Taylor has given up 12 runs in 18.1 innings of work, so the opportunities for the Tiger offense to get back on track could be there.

Vanderbilt - 13, LSU - 12

By David Billiot Jr • March 14, 2026
Gut-wrenching. There’s no other way to put it. LSU fought all the way back from a 10-4 deficit to have the game ripped from them at the very last second. They say that the 27th out in baseball is the hardest one to get and tonight, we saw why. If you told Jay Johnson that he could be in that situation with the tying run at 3rd base with 2 outs in the 9th inning and Gavin Guidry on the mound, I can guarantee you that he’d take that scenario 10 out of 10 times. In majority of those times, it would work in the Tiger’s favor, too. Not tonight. Sometimes you have to tip the cap to the other team for making the necessary plays and that’s what happened in the final inning on Friday night. Vanderbilt earned their victory. Not without some help from the LSU pitching staff early in the game, but when it mattered most, the Commadores stepped up. Although we learned a lot about the resilience of the Tigers in game 1 with their willingness to to fight back, we will learn even more about their ability to rebound from a tough loss. There were plenty of silver linings despite the L, which could be huge for the future success of this LSU team. Pitching Casan Evans had been on a steady upwards trajectory with his transition from ace bullpen piece to Friday night ace. That trend hit a brick wall tonight. Despite having a lead before stepping on to the mound, Evans was way off from his very first pitch. He walked 3 of the first 4 hitters of the game. Though he was able to strike out two, a two out 2-run single flipped the scoreboard to give Vanderbilt a 2-1 lead. The offense retook the lead, but the struggles remained as the LSU ace gave up another run in the 2nd on walk and a couple of singles. It was more of the same in the 3rd, as Evans continued to battle control problems, allowing another 2 runs on only 1 hit. The free passes were a haunting presence for his entire outing. Surprisingly, he returned for the 4th having already thrown 82 pitches. He’d finish with 83, though, as Braden Holcomb would blast a solo homerun to right center and that would be the end of the night for Casan Evans. Final line: 3.0 IP / 5 hits / 6 runs / 5 Ks / 5 BBs / 1 HBP / 83 pitches (46 strikes, 55%) The expectations for Cooper Williams were high coming in to his sophomore season, but he has failed to come even close to them, so far. That continued tonight when he relieved Casan Evans in the 4th inning. He entered with no one out in the inning, but failed to record an out. Williams walked the bases loaded and then started the next hitter with back to back balls and Jay had seen enough. Williams desperately needs to figure it out. Final line: 0.0 IP / 0 hits / 4 runs / 0 Ks / 4 BBs Jaden Noot inherited the 2-0 count from Williams and promptly allowed the walk with a few more pitches out of the zone. He followed with back to back outs to get close to being out of the inning, but another walk, then a 2 run single, followed by yet another walk would allow Vanderbilt to extend their lead to 10-4 and that would be all for Noot. Final line: .2 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 1 K / 2 BB Although it’s fairly subjective, it’s safe to say that Zac Cowan has been the most disappointing pitcher on LSU’s staff thus far in 2026. Considering how dominant he was for almost all of his 2025 season, the coaching staff had high hopes that they were bringing back a pitcher that could be trusted against anyone on the schedule. With the way some of Cowan’s outings had gone through the first four weeks of the season, he was borderline unable to be trusted against anyone. That changed Friday night. He was marvelous. Looking like the rock solid bullpen piece from a year ago, Cowan mowed through the Commadores lineup, allowing just one baserunner. One single was all that he allowed, while striking out 5 and throwing 73% strikes. As much credit as the offense deserves for fighting back in this game, Cowan deserves just as much for stabilizing things for the staff and allowing the bats to go to work. Final line: 3.1 IP / 1 hit / 0 runs / 5 Ks / 0 BBs Once the Tigers took the lead in the top of the 8th, Jay Johnson turned to Gavin Guidry. The argument could be heard that Cowan may have had more in the tank as he was rolling strong, but we’ve seen Guidry come in to close the final 6 outs of a ballgame before. It’s almost never the wrong move to put the game in his hands. At first, he was proving why. He went 3 up, 3 down in the 8th while striking out two hitters looking. But as I said in the beginning, sometimes you have to tip your cap to the opponent and admit that they beat you. In the 9th, Vanderbilt recorded back to back singles to start the inning. A passed ball then allowed both runners to advance, putting the tying run at 2nd base in a 12-10 ballgame. Guidry was able to record an out, although it was a sacrifice fly that drew the Commadores within a run and top hitter Braden Holcomb coming to the plate. Guidry painted a perfectly executed slider on the outside corner to freeze Holcomb for the second out of the inning, putting LSU just an out away from the comeback win. Unfortunately, an 0-1 slider to Logan Johnstone hung up just a little and the ball took flight in to right center to give Vanderbilt a walk off victory. Guidry just got beat. Plain and simple. Final line: 1.2 IP / 3 hits / 3 runs / 3 Ks / 0 BBs Hitting Moving up in to the leadoff role, Steven Milam acted like he belonged there. He recorded hits in his first three at bats, leading to a 3-6 day with 3 runs scored. Milam has been hitting the ball hard, severely lowering his strikeout rate from 2025. His lone strikeout tonight was only his 4th of the season, showing why concerns of his performance have been largely overblown. This spot for Jake Brown might as well be written in permanent marker at this point. He finds his way on to the top offensive performer list ever single game and he is year yet again. The 3 run homerun in the 2nd seemed like the perfect opportunity for Casan Evans to settle in and roll, but as we know, the offense would be relied upon for even more. Brown’s final line was 3-5 with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, a walk, the homerun, and also a double. His third hit came on a beautifully executed drag bunt in the 8th inning, helping get the rally together that eventually took the lead. Derek Curiel moved down to third in the order with Milam swapping to leadoff. Curiel has been LSU’s best hitter not named Jake Brown and he continued that on Friday. It doesn’t matter where he hits in the lineup, he’s going to just simply…hit. He finished 2-4, which included the 2 run double over the center fielder’s head to pull LSU within a run with a 10-9 deficit. He finished with 3 RBI, 2 runs scored, and also walked. Cade Arrambide has gone through the bumps on the road as he adjusts to being the primary starting catcher. Both offensively and defensively, LSU has needed him to be better. He was just that on Friday night. His defense was solid, blocking up multiple pitches in the dirt. His 2-4 line with 2 runs scored and a walk further boosted his bounce back game from a rough week or two. Seth Dardar didn’t get the start, but he entered as a pinch hitter in the 5th inning for Brayden Simpson and delivered what I would say was the biggest swing of the night for the Tigers. With the bases loaded and 2 outs in the 5th, Connor Fennell was very close from escaping without damage, but Dardar ripped a base-clearing double to drive in 3 runs and cut LSU’s deficit in half to 10-7. If he doesn’t come through in that moment, who knows how the rest of the night would have went for the Tigers. He finished 1-3 with that double and the 3 RBI. Zach Yorke entered the game with a 4 game hitting streak that started in game 1 against Sacramento St. That streak came to an end on Friday, but he did draw 3 walks, which led to a .600 on base percentage. Last, but certainly not least, is Chris Stanfield, who provided the much needed spark that the lineup had been missing in his absence. In that 9-hole spot in the bottom of the order, his ability to find his way on base is invaluable. He is, essentially, a second lead off hitter. His biggest value in that spot is to be a table setter for the table setters in the top of the lineup and that’s exactly what he did Friday in his first start since opening weekend. Stanfield was 2-4 with a couple of singles, while drawing a walk and scoring twice. Up Next LSU will be faced with the enormous task of bouncing back from that heart breaking loss to try and win the next two games and head back to Baton Rouge with an opening SEC weekend series win. The loss dropped the Tigers to 13-6. Cooper Moore (3-1) will take the mound on Saturday with the goal to go deeper in the game and compete to give his team the best chance to win. Vanderbilt improved to 12-7 on the season and will send Wyatt Nadeau to the mound on Saturday night. Nadeau has made 4 appearances thus far, with last Saturday being his only start. He is filling in for Austin Nye in the weekend rotation, who is injured. First pitch between LSU and Vanderbilt will be for 7 pm central on Saturday night.
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